Opposing pitchers on the wrong side of Blue Jays history

Sam Dyson – Game 5 ALDS 2015

Continuing on with the Texas Rangers/Toronto Blue Jays theme, we head back to 2015 where Jose Bautista angered every fan of the ‘unwritten rules’ with his monster bat flip.

After a tough series that saw the Blue Jays force Game 5 back in Toronto, the seventh inning of this game will enter franchise folklore as one of the most entertaining innings in the history of the Jays organization.

A Russell Martin throwing error off the bat of Shin-Soo Choo scored Rougned Odor from third, which led to manager John Gibbons playing the game under protest and Blue Jays fans throwing beer cans onto the field. All that would be forgotten in the bottom half of the inning however, as numerous fielding errors by Elvis Andrus and the Rangers as well as controversial play at home involving a sneaky Dalton Pompey slide led to a Jays comeback in dramatic fashion.

On the mound was former Blue Jays draft pick Sam Dyson, who was taking over for veteran starter Cole Hamels. He gave up a bloop hit to Donaldson, mostly because Odor forgot how to play second base, and the tying run scored while getting the out at second. Up stepped Bautista with runners on third and first and two outs, with the Dominican product hammering a 1-1 inside fastball into the Blue Jays bleachers, giving the club the lead and eventually sending them to the ALCS.

For Dyson, he enters Blue Jays history as being the pitcher who gave up the Jose Bautista bat flip home run. Following the 2015 season, the right-hander spent one and a half seasons with the Rangers before being traded to the San Francisco Giants midway through the 2017 campaign. He spent two seasons in the Bay Area before being traded to the Minnesota Twins in 2019, finishing the year there before becoming a free agent.

Dyson has not appeared in a Major League game since 2019 following an investigation by the MLB that resulted in him being suspended for the entire 2021 campaign due to domestic violence allegations/violations. He is currently a free agent and will most likely never appear in the Major Leagues ever again.

For his career, the right-hander has amassed a 3.40 ERA through 376 appearances with 310 strikeouts and a home run that will be told to generations of Blue Jays fans.